Evidence map›Paper›PMID 17442125›Full record

Trial reportBMC psychiatry2007

Internet-based treatment for PTSD reduces distress and facilitates the development of a strong therapeutic alliance: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Christine Knaevelsrud, Andreas Maercker

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC psychiatry, 2007. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 113 papers, 13 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
113citing papers in PubMed, 13 pooled it
11.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

113 citing papers in PubMed, 13 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 407 citations in OpenAlex.

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  9. Support for mothers, fathers and families after perinatal death.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2013
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  13. Adherence in internet interventions for anxiety and depression.Journal of medical Internet research · 2009
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53 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Christine KnaevelsrudTreatment Center for Torture Victims, Berlin, Germany. c.knaevelsrud@bzfo.de
Andreas Maercker
University of Zurich · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of an internet-based therapy (Interapy) for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in a German speaking population. Also, the quality of the online therapeutic relationship, its development and its relevance as potential moderator of the treatment effects was investigated.

methodNinety-six patients with posttraumatic stress reactions were allocated at random to ten sessions of Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) conducted over a 5-week period or a waiting list control group. Severity of PTSD was the primary outcome. Secondary outcome variables were depression, anxiety, dissociation and physical health. Follow-up assessments were conducted at the end of treatment and 3 months after treatment.

resultsFrom baseline to post-treatment assessment, PTSD severity and other psychopathological symptoms were significantly improved for the treatment group (intent-to-treat group x time interaction effect size d = 1.40). Additionally, patients of the treatment condition showed significantly greater reduction of co-morbid depression and anxiety as compared to the waiting list condition. These effects were sustained during the 3-months follow-up period. High ratings of the therapeutic alliance and low drop-out rates indicated that a positive and stable therapeutic relationship could be established online. Significant improvement of the online working alliance in the course of treatment and a substantial correlation between the quality of the online relationship at the end of treatment and treatment outcome emerged.

conclusionInterapy proved to be a viable treatment alternative for PTSD with large effect sizes and sustained treatment effects. A stable and positive online therapeutic relationship can be established through the Internet which improved during the treatment process.

trial registrationAustralian Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN012606000401550.

Indexed as

InternetAdolescentAdultAgedAnxietyCognitive Behavioral TherapyDepressionDissociative DisordersFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHealth StatusHumansMaleMiddle AgedPhysician-Patient RelationsSeverity of Illness Index

Identifiers

PMID17442125
PMCPMC1885249
OpenAlexW2104966869

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.